The retro-inspired design of the soon-to-retire sixth-generation Camaro can be traced back to its predecessor. However, before the Gen V Camaro was introduced in 2009, the iconic nameplate had been dormant since production of the previous model came to a halt in 2002. And it looks like the best scenario we can think of for the Camaro’s future is another hiatus, which could be ended by an electric comeback, possibly in the final part of the decade. Meanwhile, though, the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-ZL1 has arrived as a last hurrah penned by a digital artist.
Graphic designer Jim (aka jlord8) is one of the most prolific rendering artists who paint an alternate present/future for those of us who aren’t satisfied with what the car industry has to offer—have you seen his 2024 Mustang Dark Horse Wagon? And how could Camaro enthusiasts be pleased with the fact that GM seems to be steering the legendary nameplate straight into the museum?
What Detroit is cooking these days
With the Camaro having received no important updates for a few model years now and GM remaining mum on the matter, all we have on the muscle car’s future is a 2020 teaser portraying an electric sedan. Factor in the battery commitment demonstrated by the introduction of the all-electric Chevy Silverado, Equinox and Blazer and you can see why our best hope seems to be a future Camaro EV.
Meanwhile, Dodge appears to be doing the same with its HEMI-powered Challenger and Charger. However, the Mopars are going away with a supercharged bang and then some, as the 2023 releases are wilder than ever. Besides, Dodge has already given us a taste of an exciting e-muscle future via the recent Charger Daytona SRT EV concept.
Then there’s Ford, whose commitment to only selling EVs in Europe by 2030 hasn’t kept the company from squeezing in another generation of the Mustang starting with the 2024 model year. And the Gen VII ‘Stang is no low-key effort, as its road versions will be joined by no less than six racing iterations, while rumors talk of an S650-generation GT500 with supercharged fury.
The 2024 Camaro IROC-ZL1 would be a brilliant retromod (new car, oldtimer looks)
Returning to Jim’s creations, the artist labeled this as the Chevy IROC-Z. So, why did we call this the IROC-ZL1? For starters, we’re dealing with a 2022 Camaro ZL1 whose body has been completely restyled to resemble the third-gen Camaro IROC-Z.
And it didn’t take long for somebody in the comments section of the Instagram post (thanks, dtopp_327) showcasing the work to point out that the IROC-ZL1 label would capture the (retromod) nature of the machine, so we took the liberty of adopting this nameplate.
Now, the said IROC-Z Camaro introduced in 1985 was a road-going special honoring the vehicle’s presence in the International Race of Champions, which had kicked off with the Gen II Camaro and was a precious asset in the fight against the era’s fuel crises-spurred limitations.
And while the digital artist’s imaginary machine would require tons of work to be executed in real life, we wouldn’t be surprised to see such a feat. After all,*retromodding is a thing nowadays, as demonstrated by the Trans Am Worldwide 70/SS, which is a current-day, sixth-gen Camaro posing as a classic Chevelle.
Of course, things also go the other way around (think: restomodding), with the example we have in mind coming from the 1992 (still a third-gen) Camaro IROC-Z06, which features a full C8 Corvette interior swap!
